Life sentence for 21-year-old who stabbed aunt 55 times

Two years ago, a 19-year-old engineering student murdered his aunt by stabbing her 55 times in the neck, chest and abdomen. He then tried to mislead the police by claiming that two persons had barged into her Mulund apartment and killed her.

Two years ago, a 19-year-old engineering student murdered his aunt by stabbing her 55 times in the neck, chest and abdomen. He then tried to mislead the police by claiming that two persons had barged into her Mulund apartment and killed her.

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However, a sessions court on Wednesday sentenced Saket Phanse, now 21, to life imprisonment for killing Mangala Dharbe, 51, on August 25, 2010. The court also levied a fine of Rs. 10,000.

As per the prosecution case, Phanse, a resident of Pune, did not stop even when the knife broke. Instead, he found another one and continued stabbing the victim, the police had claimed.

According to the police, Phanse had left Pune on the pretext of meeting his friends. He came to Dharbe’s place in Mulund and called her on finding the door locked. He told his aunt that would leave after lunch.

When Dharbe was busy in the kitchen, he picked up a knife and attacked her. He even injured his own hand when the knife broke, the police said.

According to the police, Phanse panicked when the house help arrived at the flat. He tried to mislead them by claiming that two persons had stabbed his aunt and also injured him.

In his initial statement to the police, Phanse said he was kidnapped by two unidentified men from Pune while he was on his way to college and brought to Dharbe’s house in Mulund. He claimed they killed his aunt.

However, during sustained interrogation he confessed his role, following which he was arrested on August 28, 2010.

Phanse told the police he had gone to his aunt’s house with the intention of robbing her. He, however, changed his statement during the trial, claiming that he was being falsely implicated.

The police had collected DNA samples and fingerprints from the murder spot. While the DNA report of the deceased’s blood matched with the stains found on Phanse’s shirt, the fingerprint report was not conclusive.

Public prosecutor Lata Cheda examined 31 witnesses in the case, who identified Phanse and stated that when they entered the room he was the only one there and Dharbe was dead.